- The Ribera health group warns of the "high escape capacity" of this new variant for both vaccination and infection antibodies
- Recommends full vaccine schedule (three doses), even if infection occurred after the initial two doses, five months after illness
Valencia, July 15, 2022 – The Ribera healthcare group warns of the significant incidence of this new wave of Covid, which causes a fever of more than 38ºC for the first two or three days, more cases of loss of smell and taste, sore throat and earache. Doctor Antonio Valdivia, head of Preventive Medicine of the Ribera health group in the Hospital de Denia ensures that, in general, the symptoms are similar to those of many flu-like symptoms, although "in recent weeks we are again seeing approximately 10% of patients who lose their sense of smell and taste, with a tendency to present greater throat inflammation and earache". For the rest, he adds, "the behavior of the virus is similar to the sixth wave." The head of Preventive Medicine of the Vinalopó University Hospital, Dr. Jose Antonio Delgado. "The clinical picture is similar to the variants that have previously circulated, but with the difference that severe cases of the disease have decreased considerably," he says.
Regarding the causes of this seventh wave of Covid, which is already being noted in hospitals and Primary Care centers, due to the significant increase in cases and a considerable increase in income, Dr. Valdivia assures that “the new variants have a high capacity of escape, both to the antibodies generated with the vaccination and to those generated with the non-Omicron strains and even Omicron-1”. Based on the cases seen, the specialist from the Ribera group assures that "currently it can be expected that the majority of cases are caused by Omicron-2, with the growing presence of strains subsequent to this one with even greater escape capacity."
Dr. Delgado explains that the two predominant lineages in this wave “present mutations that are related to partial evasion of humoral immunity, therefore people who have a previous COVID-19 infection as well as those who have been vaccinated”, although, he clarifies “vaccines continue to offer substantial protection against serious forms of the disease”.
Both specialists recommend that citizens receive the complete vaccination schedule. Dr. Delgado assures that "the majority of mild cases are self-diagnosed with tests acquired at pharmacies or through an epidemiological link." "The most serious symptoms appear in unvaccinated patients: they have higher fever, the duration of acute symptoms is longer and, in general, they have a higher risk of ending up in the Emergency Department for a face-to-face assessment of the symptoms," explains Dr. Valdivia. “In the case of the general population that has received all the vaccines, the cases are mostly mild, although an increase in admissions is observed, especially patients with incomplete vaccination, elderly or with high-risk pathologies, such as transplant recipients, people receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppressive treatments, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome over 40 years of age, which make it difficult to respond effectively to vaccination”, he adds.
The specialists in Preventive Medicine of the Ribera group assure that researchers and health organizations already agree that a fourth dose will be necessary. "It only remains to determine the dates and the order of priority for the administration but, based on the information that comes from other European countries, it is expected that the start of the population vaccination campaign of this fourth dose will be carried out in October or November, coinciding with the flu vaccination campaign” they explain. For Dr. Delgado, "what is clear is that in the following updates of the vaccination strategy, the vaccination recommendations must be more personalized, to strengthen immunity in vulnerable patients because they are the ones with the severe cases, the ones that end up hospitalized and those who may die from COVID-19.”
Both also remember that it is important to administer the third dose in cases in which two have been received and then the infection has been suffered. Specifically, after five months is when it is indicated. For the adult population as a whole, the recommendation is to administer four doses of the vaccine: three initial doses and a fourth booster dose, even if they have passed the infection, recommending, as in the previous case, to wait 5 months from the start of the infection until that fourth dose is administered, although after 28 days from the start of the infection this booster dose can already be administered, he assures.
Regarding the advice to try to avoid the spread of this new strain, which seems to be transmitted so easily, there is no news: Use of a mask in contact with vulnerable people and indoors, maintain frequent hand hygiene and avoid crowds and crowded events . “At the institutional level, citizens must continue to be informed to avoid excessive relaxation,” they add.
